Lindsay Mecca

Winner of statewide writing competition for her original play, "The Nearly Departed," which also won the Young Connecticut Playwrights Festival Award; National Honor Society, president; literary magazine editor; National Honor Society debate winner; senior prefect; National Merit Scholarship commended student; Harvard Book Prize; Danbury Hospital volunteer.

What is your career aspiration? Still considering several options, but currently plans to major in biochemistry or biomedical ethics, with a minor in creative writing.

Have your life goals or outlook on life changed since Sept. 11? If so, how? "It's made me realize things happen, and you have to adapt. I'm not at the point where events made me change my track in life, but it opened my eyes a lot to improvising and overcoming obstacles."

What should adults know about teens today? "Teens are to some extent in their own little world; we don't know that much about life because we haven't been around that long. But we know about ourselves more than adults think we do."

What advice do you have for high school freshmen? "Keep an open mind, in terms of everything; you never know what activity is going to come along, or people you'll meet. Take risks; if you focus only on what you're comfortable with, you'll miss out."

Do you have a hero? If so, who is it and why? "I admire a lot of different people for different reasons - such as my parents - I feel comfortable with who I am because of how they raised me. Or the director, David Lynch, because I really admire the way he expresses himself."

Close-up: While many teens write, only a select few can claim that their work was officially recognized. In the case of Lindsay Mecca, a play she wrote won first prize in the Young Connecticut Playwrights Festival not once, but twice.

A notice on a bulletin board at school during her sophomore year first alerted Lindsay about the contest. She decided to enter her play, "Penalty Box," a pop culture satire, and won first prize.

The following year, Lindsay's school nominated her to take part in "Take the Lead," a leadership conference at Mount Holyoke College. As a conference project, she wrote "The Nearly Departed," which she describes as a "tragedy/comedy/fantasy about the atrocities of capital punishment." When the deadline for that year's contest approached, Lindsay decided to enter "The Nearly Departed" - and found herself with first prize again.

"I've always been interested in capital punishment," Lindsay said. "I'm very much against it. I love to write, and I love to argue, so I tried to incorporate those two in a play."

Lindsay's prize was a performance of her plays at Rich Forum in Stamford.

"They assign a director," she explained, "but you can get a hand in the casting."

Besides the Young Connecticut Playwrights Festival, Lindsay was the regional winner in the Connecticut Bar Association Essay Contest, where she wrote on the theme of equal justice under the law. She received $1,000, and her essay was published in the Connecticut Law Tribune. Another $1,000 came from the IMPAC-Connecticut State University Young Writers Program, where she was county winner during her senior year.

"That's going into my college fund," she said, "for flying back and forth."

Although Lindsay is deeply interested in writing screenplays, she is considering a major in biochemistry or biomedical ethics, with a minor in creative writing.

"I'm not completely sure what I want to do," she said. "I could end up like [author] Michael Crichton."

After relaxing this summer, Lindsay will head for Stanford University, which she visited previously and fell in love with.